Danny, Sam, and Tucker were inseparable. If you found one, chances were that the other two weren't far behind. They were best friends, family. They were there for each other no matter what. The only time it seemed they weren't together was when Sam and Tucker were helping Phantom catch ghosts.

The trio was inseparable.

At least until they weren't.

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The first few days after Danny and Sam broke up, he wouldn't get out of bed. He wouldn't eat. He would lay there, as his family and Tucker came to check up on him. Sometimes he wouldn't talk, sometimes he'd cry on their shoulders.

They'd always leave him with sadness in their eyes, softly closing the door behind them.

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"Why would I want to be friends with you? Who else would want to be friends with you?"

Sam screeched at him inside the Nasty Burger, gathering stares from the other patrons of the food place.

Danny had just been trying to talk to Sam but he struck a nerve and now she was hollering at him.

He could tell she didn't really mean it. That she was just trying to hurt him.

Nevertheless, tears began to fill Danny's eyes and he pushed his way past her out of the restaurant. He jumped up, transforming before flying off into the sky.

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Danny hasn't spoken to Sam since that day and things weren't going much better with Tucker. He was starting to distance himself from Danny, was starting to ignore his calls and sit with Sam more and more often at lunch.

After school, Tucker didn't want to walk home with him.

"Tucker… Do you not want to be my friend anymore?"

"No, Danny." Tucker sighed, looking down at the ground. "I can't handle you dumping everything on me. You don't do anything to fix it. You just complain all the time, So, no. I don't want to be your friend anymore."

Danny's hands balled up into fists, and a few tears rolled down his cheeks before anger took over instead.

"Fine. Fuck you! I don't need you."

Danny turned invisible and transformed, flying off into the sky.

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Danny doesn't go out as Phantom anymore. Jazz encourages him to go out on patrol, but it'll just remind him of his not-friends.

And if he goes out, he'll glance at every car, every person walking by, hoping to get a glimpse of them.

He finally stopped after receiving a broken arm from Skulker when he saw Tucker in the crowd watching the fight.

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It's seven months later now and Danny feels as if he's finally better. He's smiling more, his default mood is no longer anger or irritation, and he no longer feels the pressing thoughts in his head that no one wants him.

Sometimes he's hit by bouts when he misses Tucker though. It's these times that he breaks down and weeps over his not-friend. Sobs and shaky breaths escape him as he thinks of what he could have done differently. Anything he could do now.

But bravery left alongside his friends and he was left with cold fear.

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It was a nice summer day, two year after everything went down, and Danny was feeling great. He had some new friends he could hang out with every once in awhile and his grades were vastly improved compared to his freshman year.

Sometimes he still longed for his not-friends but that's okay. They were a big part of his life for so long that it'd be hard to expect otherwise.

Currently, Danny was at the park lying on top of a picnic table on his stomach with earbuds in, doodling in his sketchbook. It wasn't until someone tapped his shoulder that he realized someone was there.

Danny took out his earbuds, pausing the music, and sat up to face whoever wanted his attention. And he gaped at the sight before him.

It was Tucker. He stood before Danny, shuffling on his feet before speaking.

"Can I join you?"

Danny nodded and scooted over on the table and Tucker sat down beside him. Neither of them spoke, looking at the ground or the sky or the trees, anywhere but each other. Finally Tucker spoke up, breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry."

Danny's gaze snapped towards him, shocked. That hadn't been he'd been expecting to hear.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Danny said. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you."

"You needed me though and I just left. You were hurting, you stopped hunting and-"

"I'm the one who pushed you away, Tucker." Danny whispered. "If I hadn't been such a dependent and needy ass, you wouldn't have had a reason to leave."

They sat in silence again after that, the words setting in.

Suddenly, Tucker wrapped a hesitant arm around his shoulders and pulled Danny towards him.

"Well." He says. "I guess we both fucked up."

Danny smiled at that, wrapping his own arm around him. "Yeah. I guess we did, Tuck."

They watched birds and butterflies dance through the air for awhile, simply basking in each others presence.

Soon, Danny stood and stretched his arms over his head before looking at Tucker.

"Wanna go home?"

Tucker smiled, before standing up, now a few inches taller than Danny.

"You bet."

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They walked to Fentonworks and once they entered the building, they were greeted by very excited family members who scooped Tucker into their arms.

Danny watched Tucker smile all the while, basking in the warmth the Fenton parents showered him with even after so long. Because even though his parents could be the most embarrassing people on the planet, they were still family and Tucker seemed to miss them.

After the warm reunion, they made some popcorn and had a movie night.

And just like when they were younger, Danny and Tucker fell asleep on the couch, getting tangled together in their sleep.

Maybe they really were inseparable after all.